Professor Paul Heath – SGREC Chair from March 2019 to Present – Professor in Paediatric Infectious Diseases [I&I]
Professor Paul Heath, Professor of Paediatric Infectious Diseases, St George’s University of London & St George’s University Hospitals NHS Trust, London. His training in paediatrics and infectious diseases was at the Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne, Australia, the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford and St George’s Hospital, London. His particular research interests are in the epidemiology of vaccine preventable diseases, in clinical vaccine trials, particularly in at-risk groups and in perinatal infections. He coordinates a European neonatal infection surveillance network (neonIN) and the UK Paediatric Vaccine Group (UKPVG), and other recent work includes national surveillance on neonatal meningitis, neonatal GBS and Listeria infections, maternal immunisation trials and studies of different vaccine schedules in preterm infants. He sits on national UK committees concerned with meningitis, Group B streptococcus prevention and on immunisation policies in children.
He is Chair of the Research Committee of the European Society of Paediatric Infectious Diseases, Associate Chief Editor of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Journal and Clinical Lead for Children’s research for the South London Clinical Research Network.
Dr Paris Ataliotis – SGREC Deputy Chair from April 2020 to present - Senior Lecturer in Development Genetics [IMBE]
Dr Ataliotis is involved in general and specialised teaching to undergraduate students on the Biomedical Science BSc, as well as course organisation and assessment. He also teaches and supervises postgraduate research students at Master's and PhD levels. He has worked previously as a Senior Research Fellow in Professor Peter Scambler's group at the Institute of Child Health. This group was instrumental in identifying the genetic cause of 22q11DS and exploring the contribution of individual genes to this disorder, using mouse, chick and frog model systems.
Dr Ataliotis completed his PhD at the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research and University College London, where, with colleagues from the National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR), he helped to develop Immortomouse. This genetically modified mouse permits the isolation of immortal cell lines (cells that continue dividing indefinitely) from a variety of embryonic and adult tissues.
Dr Ataliotis's PhD was preceded by 3 years at the National Institute for Medical Research as a Research Officer, studying desmosome cell junctions with Professor Tony Magee, and prior to this a BSc in Biochemistry at Manchester University.
Dr Bridget Bax – Reader in Rare Diseases [MCS]
Dr Bridget Bax graduated with a BSc (Hons) in Biochemistry from Royal Holloway, University of London before joining the Institute of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of London as a Research Biochemist. She then joined the Royal Postgraduate Medical School, University of London as a Research Assistant and obtained her Ph.D. in Medicine. After a postdoctoral position at St George's, University of London, she was appointed Senior Research Fellow in 2002. She is currently a Reader in Rare Disease at St. George’s, University of London and Deputy Head of the Institute of Molecular and Clinical Sciences. Her research focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms that underlie rare diseases and developing cell-based therapies for their treatment. Dr Bax also serves as a visiting professor in the Faculty of Life Sciences and Computing at London Metropolitan University, London.
Dr Elena Sviderskaya – Senior Lecturer in Cell and Molecular Biology [MCS]
Dr Elena Sviderskaya gained a PhD in Biochemistry at the University of St Petersburg, Russia. In 1991 she joined St George's University of London as a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow, and in 2000 she became Director of the Wellcome Trust Functional Genomics Cell Bank at St George's. In 2005 she became a Wellcome Trust University Award Research Fellow. In 2011, Elena was appointed as Senior Lecturer at St George's. Elena has a long-standing interest in the genetic and physiological regulation of mammalian pigmentation, with a special focus on determination of neural crest stem cells.
Dr Irina Chis Ster – Senior Lecturer in Biostatistics [I&I]
Dr Irina Chis Ster joined St George's in June 2013 as tenure track after holding research positions in biostatistics with Imperial College London and University College London. She holds a PhD in Mathematics and an MSc in Medical Statistics (London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine). She provides statistical consultancy for studies conducted by scientists and clinicians across St George's, University of London and St George's Hospital.
Dr Michelle Harricharan - Research Data Support Manager [Library]
SGUL's Research Data Management Service supports researchers in complying with institutional, funder and publisher requirements around Research Data Management and Open Data. Michelle works closely with Information Services, Joint Research and Enterprise Services, scholarly communications and researchers to implement best practice in Research Data Management and Open Data at St George's. She is passionate about research and driving best practice in how we store, access, document, preserve and share research data to enhance the utility and longevity of research outputs. Her background is in health, communication and technology, particularly the intersections of these in contemporary healthcare provision.
Professor Philip Cooper - Professor of Epidemiology of Infectious Diseases [I&I]
He studied medicine at St George's, qualifying in 1988. He obtained a PhD in Parasite Immunology at the Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, supported by a Medical Research Council Clinical Training Fellowship. Professor Cooper then moved to the Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases at the National Institutes of Health as a Fogarty International Fellow where he studied helminth immunology. He returned to St George's in 2000 as a Lecturer in Infection and Immunity to study the interaction between parasite infections and allergy, work supported by the Wellcome Trust.
In 2010 Professor Cooper moved to the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine to take up a chair in Parasitology. He returned to St George's in 2013 to take up a chair in the Epidemiology of Infectious Diseases.
Dr Michael Perkin – Senior Lecturer and Consultant in Paediatric Allergy [PH]
Dr Perkin is a Senior Lecturer and Consultant in Paedicatric Allergy at St. George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. For 8 years he ran the FSA/MRA funded EAT (Enquiring About Tolerance) Study, the results of which were published in March 2016 in the New England Journal of Medicine. Michael trained at St. George's Hospital and then undertook clinical allergy training at St. Mary's and Southampton Hospitals. He held a Wellcome Fellowship in Clinical Epidemiology under Professor David Strachan. His PhD was on the relationships between atopy and the farming environment in children. His research interests are the epidemiology of allergic disease, the prevention of food allergy and the environmental contribution to the allergy epidemic.
John Ward - Student Representative
John Ward is a final year medical student at St George’s, University of London. He has additionally completed a BSc in Neuroscience at King’s College, London, where he conducted research into the effect of gender on the experience of mood disorders in autism spectrum disorder. Furthermore, in the course of his clinical years at St George’s, he has continually worked on research into the relationship between self-harm and ADHD in adolescents.
May Al-Shawk - Student Representative
May is a fifth-year medical student at St George’s University of London and is one of two student representatives on the committee. In 2017 she undertook an Intercalated degree at the university involving a lab-based research project in Primary Lymphoedema which furthered her interest in research. Since then she has helped investigate the impact of negative perceptions and stereotypes in career choices of female medical graduates through her work with the Athena SWAN Society.
May is interested in both research and medical education, getting involved in both throughout her time at the university. She would like to pursue a career in Acute Medicine and Medical Education and believes that the work of the Research Ethics Committee is very valuable to contribute to and learn from in order to thrive in any specialty within medicine.
Georgia Bullock - Research Development & Governance Manager [JRES]
Georgia has a background in nursing and has worked in clinical research for around 20 years. She is currently the Research Development and Governance Manager at St George’s and is mainly responsible for the set-up and oversight of interventional clinical trials led by St George’s.
Dr Angelika Kristek – SGREC Secretary from February 2020 to Present, Research Ethics and Integrity Officer (JRES)
Angelika has a background in public health and policy and worked 9 years in research. She completed a PhD in Food biosciences in the University of Reading where she was investigating the long-term intake of whole grain oat effect on cardiovascular health and the intestinal microbiota balance with a dietary interventional trial. She joined Imperial College London in 2019 as a Research Integrity Officer and became an expert on clinical trial databases (EudraCT, clinicaltrials.gov). Her focus was on developing tools and training to the organisation to help compliance with the regulation of the research integrity. She started to work with St George’s University of London in 2020. She is the first contact point for all matters concerned with research ethics and integrity for research falling within SGUL Research Ethics Committee, including student studies requiring HRA approval. She passionate about the moral dilemmas in scientific research.
Lay Members
Nahiedh Khan - Legal adviser at UK Ministry of Justice and Lawyer
Solicitor PQE of 9 years. I specialise in Criminal law, Extradition law & Confiscation law. I practice & advice in the magisterial court system. Dealing with petty criminals to sophiscated crime work, which can have an element of enforcement work to it.
Sue Alexander - Home Maker
Sue has much experience volunteering. Such experience include; Westmidlands probation service, Narco (Birmingham), Citzen's Advice Bureau, Scope (working for the disabled charity), The Mix (Working with troubled children). Sue can offer a great insight into everyday life problems but in addition to working closely with people with disabilities and troubled children - she is able to offer advice on those issues.
Dr Malou van Zanten
Dr Malou van Zanten obtained her BSc in Skin Therapy (Allied Health) in 2009 from the University of Applied Science, Utrecht, The Netherlands, where she subsequently worked in a hospital setting as a skin and oedema therapist. With an interest in research she relocation to South Australia to pursue a research degree in lymphology. She obtained her PhD in 2016 with her PhD focused on clinical research investigating the lymphatic drainage pathways in and around lower limb soft tissue reconstructions.
Malou worked as a Clinical Research Officer at the Lymphoedema Clinical Research Unit, Department of Surgery, Flinders University, South Australia for 6 years. She started her work at St George’s University in 2018 as a Senior Research Practitioner in the Molecular and Clinical Sciences Research Institute. Here she is coordinating a large study investigating genotyping and phenotyping in primary lymphoedema and congenital vascular malformations, funded by the Medical Research Council.
She is leading the Indocyanine Green Lymphography imaging in lymphovascular disorders. This is a study linking medical lymphatic imaging, immunology, genetics and molecular biology. She has an interest in patient advocacy, lymphoedema treatment, scar tissue, lymphatic imaging, early diagnosis and prevention.
Dr Victor Paul Olisa - QPM
Victor served as a police officer for 35 years. He joined Surrey Police in 1982 straight from university.
He transferred to City of London Police in 1990 and worked in various roles, including the Fraud Squad as Detective Inspector.
In 2003 he was seconded to the Home Office to work on Stop and Search, which involved advising Ministers on policy and chief police officers on good practice.
In 2005 he was awarded a PhD in Criminology at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE).
He transferred on promotion to the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) in 2006 and in 2012 was promoted to Chief Superintendent and worked in Bexley and Haringey as Borough Commander.
In 2016 he headed the MPS Diversity and Inclusion Unit.
In 2017, he was awarded the Queen’s Police Medal for distinguished police service.
After retirement in 2017 he worked as a Visiting Fellow at LSE. He is a visiting lecturer at Universities of Portsmouth, Liverpool John Moores and West London. He joined the Board of Governors at NACRO in May 2020.
Previous Committee Members
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Sandra Ashton – Chair (July 2017 - 2019) Research Technician, Molecular and Clinical Sciences Research Institute
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Rachel Allen – Deputy Chair Reader in Immunology of Infection and Head of the Graduate School
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Carole Beighton – External Lay Member
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Zoe Ilivitsky – Student Representative
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Dr Thushari Welikala – Lecturer in Higher Education, King's Learning Institute, King's College London.
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Dr Penny Lympany – Senior Laboratory Manager, St. George's, University of London
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Debbie Rolfe – Former Regulatory Assurance Manager, Joint Research and Enterprise Services
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Subhir Bedi – Head of Research Governance and Delivery, JRES
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Ali Alshukry – Research Governance and Delivery Manager
- Nabilla Waise – Research Ethics Coordinator / SGREC Secretary [JRES]
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Dr Saranne Weller – Reader in Higher Education Practice and Development
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Harley Manning – Lay Member
- Dr Sarah Jane White - Senior Lecturer in Medical Statistics [PH]
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Peter R Brown - BVetMed BA (Hons) MSc (VetGP) MRCVS / External Lay Member
- Suzie McCluney – External / Lay member